These are then washed down with more than 150 juice drink pouches and cans of fizzy drink. On average, children are consuming at least three unhealthy snacks and sugary drinks a day, with around a third consuming four or more.

The overall result is that children consume three times more sugar than is recommended.

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They can also get money-off vouchers to help them try healthier snack options, including malt loaf, lower sugar fromage frais, and drinks with no added sugar.

Many of the unhealthy snacks children consume regularly are high in sugar and also typically high in calories, for example:

An ice-cream contains around 175 calories

A pack of crisps contains around 190 calories

A chocolate bar contains around 200 calories

A pastry contains around 270 calories

Two snacks containing 100 calories each is what children should be having per day, says new campaign.

The “100 calorie snacks, two a day max” tip only applies to snacks which are not fruit and vegetables, as children should also be encouraged to eat a variety of these to achieve their 5 A Day.

Dr Alison Tedstone, chief nutritionist at Public Health England, said: “The true extent of children’s snacking habits is greater than the odd biscuit or chocolate bar. Children are having unhealthy snacks throughout the day and parents have told us they’re concerned.

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“To make it easier for busy families, we’ve developed a simple rule of thumb to help them move towards healthier snacking – Look for 100 calorie snacks, two a day max.”

Recommended daily maximum is no more than five cubes of sugar for four to six year-olds.

PHE also have a ‘Food Scanner’ app which shows parents how many calories, sugar, salt and saturated fat is in their food to help make healthier choices easier. It can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play.

With a third of children leaving primary school overweight or obese, tackling obesity requires wider action and is not just limited to individual efforts from parents.